He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord… The desire of the wicked shall perish. Psalm 112:7, 10
There Arises Light in the Darkness, Unto the Upright
Psalm 112, a wisdom psalm, is very similar to Ps. 111; together they form a matched pair of acrostic poems. The psalmist lists not only the blessings won by those who keep God’s commands, but the acts that secure them.
Key concepts: Blessing, Poor and oppressed, Wicked
112:1 Praise the Lord: Like Ps. 111, this psalm begins with the Hebrew word hallelujah. It then picks up where Ps. 111 left off. Blessed, a word meaning “one who is manifestly happy,” is the same term with which the Book of Psalms begins.
1 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments.
112:2-9 His descendants will be mighty: Compare the blessings of vv. 2, 3 with the strong curses placed on the wicked in 109:6-13 to see the vivid contrast the Psalms make between the destinies of the wicked and the righteous. This black and white distinction is characteristic of the wisdom writers in Israel. The description of the good man in v. 5 is similar to the description in Ps. 15. The horn is a symbol of power. When used of a righteous person, it speaks of prominence and a lasting sense of worth in his or her life.
His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever. 4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 5 A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. 6 Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies. 9 He has dispersed, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor.
112:10 Here as in Ps. 1, the contrast between the righteous and the wicked is sharp and uncompromising. The desire of the righteous will prevail (v. 8), but the desire of the wicked will perish.
10 The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish.
** No darkness. No fear. We will see evil no more, soon. The righteous is the one who fears the Lord, delights greatly in His commandments, and lends/gives generously to the poor.
The Righteous Will Be Established
112 1 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments. 2 His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever. 4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 5 A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. 6 Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies. 9 He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor. 10 The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish.
